Page 104 of Enduring Caine
I turned to look at him, taking in his drawn brows and tense jaw. “What?”
“If someone catches us…” He neared me, pushing my arm down so the tube wasn’t visible. “We can say we were sneaking off together. She’ll vouch for it, and I’m guessing Leonardo would, too.”
What would Antonio think? Would he trust me? Would his continued doubts overwhelm the logical parts of his brain like they normally did?
“Plus, you didn’t show me how you opened that door downstairs. I need you with me.”
If Antonio didn’t trust me, what future could we have? If there was a chance of me working with the FBI on art crime cases, going undercover, we’d have to deal with these moments. This was who I was. I couldn’t dedicate myself to a man who wouldn’t let me do what I was meant to.
“Okay.” I nodded slowly, starting back in the direction we’d been headed.
We increased our speed, slowing on the stairs to the wine cellar, when one of the guards appeared on his patrol. I leaned into our act, averting my face while Vincenzo spoke to him.
No doubt there were knowing smiles exchanged between the two of them, but the words were no more than, “We’re just taking a walk. Don’t tell anyone.”
At the bottom of the rough-cut steps down to the cave, Vin pulled a portable headlamp from one of his pockets, donned it, and lit the area.
“That’s a strong light,” I said, attempting to smother the nervous energy zipping around inside me. Stupid comment.
He took my free hand—the other still clutching the tube against my thigh—and led me along the walkway edging the cave’s pool, past the Venus statue. “Wait here.”
“I guess we don’t need to shut off the camera?”
“We don’t. Let me signal my contact.” He smiled and squeezed my hand, then followed the pathway to the outside of the cave without me. The rain had stopped and the sky must have cleared, because a sliver of moonlight danced across the water at the mouth.
I held up my watch and pressed the button, which illuminated the face. Two in the morning. Our half hour was up. I was supposed to be back upstairs in my room by now. How accurate was Vin’s timing? When would the guards wake up? Soon?
Fuck.
A boat motor started up close by, and Vincenzo returned, using his headlamp to illuminate the water and the rib boat’s path. Small waves lapped against the walkway in the cave and the scent of diesel flooded the space. Once the boat was next to me, the motor stopped.
Vin turned to me. I held up a hand to shield my eyes from the headlamp. It was really bright. “Let’s have that painting, Sam.”
“Can you point that thing somewhere else?” I pulled the tube out from my pocket, practically blinded. I looked toward the boat, but my corneas needed to recover. “And it’s been a half hour. We need to hurry.”
He pushed the headlamp up and approached me. “We’re home-free, Sam.”
“No, we’re not. We still have to get upstairs.”
“Hurry up,” came a low voice from the direction of the boat.
The voice was familiar, tugging at a memory trapped deep in my brain. An accent, a tone, a something. I blinked, trying to clear the spots from my eyes, but it was too dark.
Vin eased the tube from my hand and said, “Come with me.”
“Yeah, as soon as you’ve handed it over.”
“I’m not going back upstairs.” He took my hand, which had still been hovering by my eyes, and whispered, “They’ll kill you if you they find out you helped me.”
I pulled back, blinking wildly, my eyes finally adjusting to see him. There was such pain on his face, that pinched look he’d had all night. “They’re getting you out?”
He nodded. “I don’t want to leave you behind. Not again.”
My stomach lurched. Every time we’d been together over the last week, he’d tried to hold me, touch me, protect me. He wasn’t still in love with me, was he?
“Vincenzo, get in,” said the man. “We don’t have time for this.”
My gaze snapped toward the boat, and I saw the helmsman. A single man. A large one in a dark black jacket and pants.